Inter Miami continues to ride the proverbial rollercoaster this season. Just days after suffering a crushing defeat in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the Herons endured another major setback in their domestic campaign, falling 0-3 to FC Cincinnati on Wednesday—a result that keeps them stuck in fifth place in the MLS table. While this latest blow puts them on the back foot, the silver lining comes in the form of high praise for their star player, Lionel Messi, from none other than USMNT icon Alexi Lalas.

Technically, it wasn’t just Miami that suffered a rapid fall from grace, with the 37-year-old also getting toppled from the throne. For context, the Argentinian superstar was on an impressive scoring streak, netting braces in the last five MLS matches, becoming the first player in the league’s history to do so. Unfortunately, that came to an end in yesterday’s game, as, forget Messi, the entire team failed to score.

Yet, in the eyes of Alexi Lalas, this is both an individual and personal setback doesn’t affect La Pulga. “I think not only is it amazing what he is doing, but again, he is doing it in a league of manufactured parody. And so he is doing it while he’s on a good team,” began Alexi on the latest episode of his State of the Union podcast.

The former LA Galaxy defender is amazed that despite the clear gap in quality compared to top leagues around the world—and what Messi has been used to at his former clubs like FC Barcelona in La Liga or Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1—he’s still managing to perform consistently well and never shies from delivering.

“It’s wonderful to see Messi and company. There’s still a long way to go as we get through these summer months. Number one, Messi’s healthy. Love that. And he continues just to show up. I was saying a star is somebody that when everybody is sitting there expecting you to be a star, you are a star. And Messi is that word in every sense,” concluded the former American international.

But he is behind Nashville’s Sam Surridge, who is ahead of the former Barcelona maestro by just a difference of one goal. Certainly, that isn’t much of a contrast and won’t be a problem for Messi to chase, only if his teammates also step up and become his support system.

Can Lionel Messi and Co. turn things around for Inter Miami?

Things aren’t exactly the way they were last season for Inter Miami as the MLS side is struggling to make its way to the top. Being fifth with just 38 points, they surely have a lot to catch up against the likes of Columbus (41), Nashville (44), Cincinnati (45), and Philadelphia (46). Now, one can’t completely blame the Fort Lauderdale side, who lost a game last on May 18, coincidentally, a 0-3 defeat to Orlando City.

Since then, they have secured four wins and a draw. Not to mention that in between, the Florida-based club also participated in the FIFA Club World Cup, where their journey came to an end in the round of 16 due to an unfortunate 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. And even after that, they kept their winning streak alive until Wednesday, when they lost against the second-ranked club.

The next fixture sees Lionel Messi and his teammates fly to Harrison, New Jersey, where they’ll be hosted by the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, July 19. Let’s see whether Inter Miami will be able to bounce back from this setback.